This Christmas Eve, a United Airlines flight landed at Maui’s Kahului Airport with an unthinkable discovery—a deceased individual who was concealed in the plane’s wheel well. The shocking find, now the subject of an active investigation, casts a somber shadow over one of Hawaii’s busiest travel weeks of the year.
Remarkably, this tragedy draws eerie parallels to a Hawaii stowaway incident from almost exactly one decade ago. Back then, a 15-year-old stowaway defied the odds, surviving another perilous journey to Maui in the same deadly space.
While separated by time and outcome, these incidents expose vulnerabilities in air travel security and remind us of the sometimes extraordinary stories that unfold in Hawaii’s skies.
Today’s Christmas tragedy.
On December 24, Maui Police confirmed a heartbreaking discovery: a deceased individual was found in the wheel well of United Airlines Flight 202. The flight, which departed Chicago and traveled over 4,000 miles, touched down on Maui during one of the busiest holiday travel periods of the year. Officials from the Hawaii Department of Transportation acknowledged the grim event, with investigations by Maui Police and federal authorities underway.
The dangers of wheel well stowaway attempts are both extreme and well-documented. Subzero temperatures and a near-total lack of oxygen at cruising altitudes make survival nearly impossible. This tragedy highlights the desperation behind such actions and casts a somber tone over what is usually a joyful holiday season.
A decade ago: the Hawaii stowaway who survived.
In April 2014, 15-year-old Yahye Abdi accomplished what seemed impossible—surviving a five-hour journey from San Jose to Maui in the wheel well of a Hawaiian Airlines flight. Exposed to temperatures plummeting to -60°F and the near-complete lack of oxygen at 38,000 feet, Abdi’s survival defied both medical expectations and historical precedents.
The FAA, which has documented over 100 similar stowaway attempts in the past 75 years, reports that 80% of these incidents result in death. Abdi’s survival remains one of the rare exceptions and is especially remarkable given the extreme conditions and the distance of just over 2,500 miles.
Fleeing family difficulties at the time, Abdi became an international phenomenon. After the incident, he entered child protective services before relocating to Minneapolis to live with relatives. Though his story has faded entirely from public view, Abdi, now in his mid-20s, symbolizes the human spirit’s resilience and the desperate measures some will take for a chance at a better life. His miraculous survival stands in stark contrast to the tragedy that unfolded at the same place this Christmas Eve.
What these stories mean for Hawaii air travel.
The 2014 survival story spurred demands for tighter airport surveillance, yet the Christmas tragedy reveals persistent vulnerabilities, even at some of America’s busiest airports.
Both events raise urgent questions: How do individuals bypass multiple layers of security to access restricted airport areas and then enter aircraft wheel wells? And what drives such desperate actions? While these incidents are rare, their occurrence underscores the challenges airlines and airports face in balancing security, efficiency, and compassion.
For travelers heading to Hawaii and beyond, these stories are sobering reminders of the unexpected complexities in aviation. Behind the allure of modern air travel lie human stories that are sometimes miraculous but often heartbreaking, that few of us passengers ever consider.
As investigations continue, these incidents compel us to look beyond the routine aspects of travel and consider the deeply human stories tied to aviation. Hawaii’s skies, often seen as a gateway to paradise, now carry narratives that speak to both the resilience and the fragility of life—a duality as vast and complex as the journeys they hold.
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Yes, a body was discovered but until the incident is unraveled it is premature to say that the person was trying to get to Hawaii. Airport ramp security in the USA is vastly different than what you might find in Brazil so maybe cool your jets on this story.
What happened to security that is so often flaunted about and where was the walkaround inspection taken by pencil?
Very sad and tragic for everyone involved. I see that this 787 was in São Paulo before it left for Chicago and then Maui. Just a hunch but the body may have went undetected at ORD.